Bee County residents and local artist are invited to participate in the Living History Logo Contest. The contest begins Monday, Feb. 25th and will end Friday, March 8, 2013. Contest forms can be download from the cityofbeevillemainstreet.com or can be picked up at the Joe Barnhart-Bee County Library or at City Hall's information desk.

Logo's must display our history, such as; farming/ranching, chase field naval base, historic homes or buildings, people of Bee County history, railroad, or oil industry. You may use any aspect of our history. Logo's must be displayed on 8.5" X 11" letter size paper and have to include the words: Bee County Living History Celebration. Participants must turn in their logo's to the Joe Barnhart-Bee County Library by or before March 8, 2013. Please write your name and contact information on the back of the logo. Submissions with contact information on the front with logo will be disqualified.

The entry fee to participate is $10.00 per entry. The winner will be determined by the public. Logo submissions will be displayed at Prosperity Bank during banking hours, starting March 12 through March 25, 2013. The public is invited to vote on their favorite logo. There will be voting ballots and a ballot box that the public will use to cast their vote. The winner will be announced on April 6, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. in front of the McClanahan House. The winner will be awarded $100.00 and their logo will be used as the brand for the Bee County Living History Celebration and the designer and the design will be part of our living history. For more information please contact Shirley O'Neil at 361-343-3119.

As a long-time working artist/designer, I abhor these kinds of logo or poster contests. The results are usually pretty amateurish as any experienced graphic designer wouldn't participate in the first place. But that's not my gripe: my complaint is the $10 per entry fee, especially with a grand prize of only $100. You do the math. Fifty artists kick down a total of $500, for a "grand prize" of $100. My suggestion is to hold the contest, but eliminate the fee. I know it's for a good cause, but I don't like promoters who make money off inexperienced artists looking for some kind of recognition of their talents.